What County Is Cary, North Carolina In?
Cary is mostly in Wake County, North Carolina: about 98% of its residents live there, the rest in Chatham County and Durham County. Check a specific address near a county line. About 179,306 people live there (2020–2024 estimate). It uses Eastern Time and covers 61.1 sq mi (158 km²) of land. The nearest larger city or town is Raleigh, 11 mi east.
- Population, 2020–2024 estimate
- 179,306 ± 190
- Land area
- 61.1 sq mi (158 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- Sun today
- Sunrise and sunset for the year
- Elevation
- 380 ft 116 m, ground height at the central point
- Median household income
- $134,905 ± $3,712
- Median home value
- $580,200 ± $11,119
- Median rent, with utilities
- $1,738 ± $30
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 66.6% ± 1.5 points
- Metro area
- Raleigh-Cary, NCA principal city of the area
- Water area
- 1.11 sq mi (2.89 km²)
- State
- North Carolina
- Census place code
- 3710740
- Coordinates (central point)
- 35.781302, -78.823444
These coordinates mark a central point for the area, not a street address. Population, income, home value, rent and homes lived in by their owners: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, ± margin at 90% confidence; checked on October 13, 2026.
County boundaries in Cary
- Wake County, North Carolina175,345 residents · 98%
- Chatham County, North Carolina3,882 residents · 2%
- Durham County, North Carolina79 residents · under 1%
This place crosses county lines: residents by county are American Community Survey 2020–2024 estimates. A city name alone cannot identify the county for every address. It is one of the 943 cities and towns with residents in more than one county. Check a point on the county map.
Coordinates of Cary
35.781302, -78.823444 is a central point for Cary, not a street address. Convert these coordinates or share a map link.
Elevation in Cary
380 ft (116 m), the USGS ground height at Cary’s central point (3DEP terrain, 1/9 arc-second grid, NAVD 88). Ground height varies across town. Check elevation at another spot.
Sunrise and sunset in Cary
- Longest day
- 14 hours 35 minutes around June 21
- Shortest day
- 9 hours 44 minutes around December 21
- Earliest sunrise
- 5:58 AM around June 13
- Latest sunrise
- 7:42 AM the day before clocks go back in November
- Earliest sunset
- 5:01 PM around December 5
- Latest sunset
- 8:35 PM around June 29
Clocks go forward an hour on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November, so sunrise and sunset jump an hour later in March and an hour earlier in November.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15 | 7:24 AM | 5:24 PM | 10 h |
| Feb 15 | 7:02 AM | 5:56 PM | 10 h 54 min |
| Mar 15 | 7:26 AM | 7:22 PM | 11 h 56 min |
| Apr 15 | 6:42 AM | 7:48 PM | 13 h 6 min |
| May 15 | 6:10 AM | 8:13 PM | 14 h 3 min |
| Jun 15 | 5:58 AM | 8:33 PM | 14 h 35 min |
| Jul 15 | 6:10 AM | 8:31 PM | 14 h 21 min |
| Aug 15 | 6:33 AM | 8:05 PM | 13 h 32 min |
| Sep 15 | 6:57 AM | 7:22 PM | 12 h 25 min |
| Oct 15 | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 11 h 18 min |
| Nov 15 | 6:51 AM | 5:08 PM | 10 h 17 min |
| Dec 15 | 7:17 AM | 5:02 PM | 9 h 45 min |
Approximate times for a flat horizon at the central point; the days move by a day or so from year to year. Hills and weather can change what you see.
Time zones in Cary
Cary uses Eastern Time (America/New_York).
| Time zone | Local time and UTC offset | Next clock change |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern TimeAmerica/New_York | UTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July. Enable JavaScript for the live clock. | Enable JavaScript for upcoming changes. |
Near a time-zone line, check where you are with the time-zone finder. Your phone’s setting can differ.
ZIP Code areas, largest first
- 2751969,836 people
- 2752661,588 people
- 2771359,197 people
- 2751346,979 people
- 2760645,444 people
- 2756040,792 people
- 2751133,221 people
- 2760728,438 people
- 2753925,878 people
- 2752320,269 people
- 2761720,237 people
- 2751819,735 people
12 ZIP Code areas overlap Cary. People counts are 2020–2024 estimates for each whole ZIP area. Mailing ZIPs can differ; check an address with USPS ZIP Code Lookup.
Bordering areas, nearest first
Distances are straight lines between map points.
- Morrisville, North Carolina (town)3.9 mi north
- Apex, North Carolina (town)5.0 mi southwest
- Holly Springs, North Carolina (town)9.0 mi south
- Raleigh, North Carolina (city)11 mi east
- Durham, North Carolina (city)14 mi north
Before using this answer on a form
A city boundary, a CDP and a mailing city can mean different things.
Find the county where you are now, check its ZIP area, or check the time zone where you are.